Very few NXT Superstars are subject to the same scrutiny as Ava Raine. Not only is the 21-year-old WWE’s first fourth generation Superstar, her father is WWE legend and Hollywood megastar Dwayne Johnson.
Raine began training at the WWE Performance Center in February 2020 before officially signing with the company three months later. However, it wouldn’t be until October 25th, 2022 that she arrived on NXT television as the mysterious fourth member of Schism. Although the star has continued to make regular appearances on television, she’s yet to make her on-screen in-ring debut.
Dwayne Johnson’s Daughter Enjoying New Role In NXT
Speaking in a recent interview with the Metro, NXT boss Shawn Michaels offered an update on how the would-be star is progressing. Michaels said that Raine is doing fantastic, commenting on her ever-improving confidence.
“I think from a character standpoint, she’s been a real kick in the shorts for the Schism, and I think she’s doing fantastic. We were just talking about it the other day. Her facials, she looks fantastic, she’s really getting comfortable – I think that’s the most important thing. She’s really beginning to, as we say, get into this character and enjoy the process.”
Michaels continued by assessing Ava Raine’s role in Schism, commenting that everything appears to be coming naturally to her.
“For us, it’s just very exciting to have her plugged into the Schism, and for her to be just enjoying that role, getting comfortable with it, looking natural, ‘It’s not looking difficult for her to do, she doesn’t seem to be struggling. I think she’s really gaining confidence as well, and that’s so important to this.”
With regard to her in-ring work, the WWE Hall of Famer said that she progressing at a “great pace” along with a number of other hopefuls.
“From an in-ring standpoint, I guess I would have to ask one of the coaches on that. I think, with everybody, she’s developing and working at an absolutely great pace. I always throw back to “No news is good news”, and from every report that I read, it’s fantastic and successful.
The biggest thing for us – she’s having some fun. We always let her do her job and do it well, but at the same time, this is a very young group that we have here, and I’d really love for them to have fun and enjoy it while they’re doing it,
This is a tough gig, and it’s a lot easier to do if you’re enjoying the entire process. She’s definitely doing that!”
NXT has come under the microscope in recent days following the release of former Women’s Champion Mandy Rose. The star was let go by the company just 24-hours after losing her championship to Roxanne Perez. It has been reported that her exit stemmed from increasingly racy content posted to her FanTime subscription service.